Article Prepared By Robert Michie
Trails and Sidewalks Committee, Lee District
Last Reviewed: 30 June 2008
Version 1.1

Summary:

The subject area is a Fairfax County Public School high school located on the
southeast quadrant of Franconia Road and South Van Dorn Street A
renovation of the school building triggered the trail requirement.

The applicant is required to provide a major paved trail (eight or ten
feet wide) and a five-foot wide on-road bike lane along
Franconia Road and South Van Dorn Street. In addition, FCPS must
provide a five-foot wide minor paved trail along Castlewellan Drive.

Applicant's Request: defer the trail construction because the proposed
improvements to the High School are minor in comparison to the trail
requirement.

Figure 1: Map of Subject Area

Discussion:

Figure 1 shows Edison High School in the middle of the map. Castlewellan
Drive is the road just south (below) Edison High School. South Van Dorn
Street is on the school's left. Franconia Road is just north (above) the
school. A major intersection is shown at the upper left corner of the
school's property. This intersection was
the subject of a
report in 2006.

Field Check 30 June 2008

The photographs show the existing sidewalk area
around the school.

South Van Dorn Street, looking north to the
intersection with Castlewellan Drive. The trail is seven feet four
inches wide, just a little under the standard eight foot width.

Franconia Road looking east from the intersection at
South Van Dorn Street. The sidewalk on the left side of the picture is
four feet wide, This sidewalk traverses the entire Franconia Road
frontage of Thomas Edison High School.

The trail/sidewalk requirement for Castlewellian Drive is already met.
The existing trail meets the requirement for a minor paved trail. It is five
feet nine inches wide, and it traverses the entire southern boundary of the
school.

The sidewalks on the western and northern edge of the Thomas
Edison property are only five feet and four feet wide. As travelers move
north from Kingstowne, the sidewalk narrows from almost eight feet wide to
five feet wide. Once the traveler crosses South Van Dorn Street, the trail
to the Metro Station becomes eight feet wide again. If the traveler turns
east at Franconia Road, then the trail narrows to four feet.

The Franconia
Road - South Van Dorn Street intersection is
described in
detail in a 2006 report. The upper left corner of the Edison High School
property is the key because that is where the pedestrian crossing signal is
located that will get travelers across this busy intersection.

Recommendation:

Deny the request to defer trail construction because there are no obstructions preventing the widening of the walking path.

If the Plan does not require any frontage improvements to Edison
High School, defer the on-road bike lane requirement. Otherwise, deny
the request for deferral of the on-road bike lanes, too.